


Too Little, Too Late

by muses_circle, xtremeroswellian



Series: Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala [17]
Category: Smallville, Supernatural
Genre: 33.1, Clark is kind of an idiot, F/M, but we knew that, so much snarking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:49:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24078517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muses_circle/pseuds/muses_circle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian
Summary: Things go very wrong when Clark breaks into a 33.1 and gets trapped.
Relationships: Chloe Sullivan & Sam Winchester, Chloe Sullivan & Sarah Blake, Chloe Sullivan/Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Sarah Blake/Sam Winchester
Series: Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1722754





	Too Little, Too Late

The week had been long and tiresome, and Dean found himself inside a large warehouse in Middleofnowhere, South Dakota with Chloe, Sam and Sarah, and the whole of the Justice League. His head throbbed, and the promise of a brief respite before diving into the insanity of Lex Luthor's ever expanding world was gone. He sighed, fingers rubbing his temples gently. "Please tell me you've found something," he groaned and snuck a look at Oliver. 

"I've come up with a way to break into his facility without his ever knowing." Oliver smirked. 

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Do tell." 

Sarah leaned forward and glanced at the rest of the justice members. They all looked just as smug as Oliver, which made her smile. She figured they were either lying or really had found a way in.

Sam fought a short laugh. "So you going to tell us or do we have to keep looking at your cheesy grin?" He snuck a hand under the table and rubbed his wife's stomach gently.

Dean snorted and looked at Oliver. 

Oliver rolled his eyes and glanced at Clark, nodding slightly. 

Shaking his head, Clark pulled a suit out of a box. 

Chloe blinked. "It's...a suit." 

Dean bit back a sarcastic laugh. "And an ugly one at that." He stood up and moved to inspect it closer. The fabric was fine and filmy, and whoever had the intention of wearing it would look -- in Dean's mind anyway -- totally ridiculous. "Please tell me one of you's going to wear this," he grunted. 

"I am," Oliver admitted, nodding a little. "But you won't be able to see me in it." 

"Because...it'll make us all go blind?" Chloe asked sarcastically. 

"Because you'll blindfold us from having to see you in it?" Sam retorted with a troubled smile.

Oliver looked back at Clark, Victor, AC, and Bart and laughed. "These four could probably beat you in a snarking contest."

"No way," Victor replied with a smirk. "They don't have the never ending supply of fish jokes we do."

"Besides," Bart said with a quick-witted smile, "being around Chlolicious again takes all the thoughts out of my head."

Dean rolled his eyes and tried not to smile at the youngest guy's still obvious obsession with his girl. 

Clark smiled faintly, looking at Chloe for a moment and then shifting his gaze to the floor. 

"Seriously. How exactly is this suit going to help us break into 33.1 and find out what Lex is plotting this time?" Chloe folded her arms across her chest. 

"It renders the wearer invisible," Oliver replied and took the suit from Clark's hands.

Dean looked slightly impressed, his arms crossed and a serious look on his face. "Okay, so you'll be invisible. That's good, considering how skin tight it is."

"Dean," Sam said seriously and gave his brother a look.

"But how it is supposed to get you into 33.1? I thought it was rigged with everything imaginable to keep you out?"

Sam leaned forward on the table, curious about how the super tight suit worked, as well.

"Because it's not just invisible to the human eye. It's untraceable." 

Chloe stared at him. "How the hell did you pull that off?" 

"Like I'm going to share my deep, dark secrets," Oliver said with a smile as he turned and put the suit back into the box.

"Wait," Sam interrupted, "so anyone who wears this is basically a non-entity while wearing the suit?" Even with his massive powers -- which he realized he still didn't have much of a handle on -- nothing sounded as indestructible as this suit. 

"Got it in one," Victor said with a smirk. "Kinda like to try it out myself." 

"You'll have your chance," Clark said quietly. "We all will." 

Dean made a face. "Long as we don't have to see you in it."

Sarah blushed and hid her face behind her long, raven tresses for a moment.

"We have to," Oliver reminded the guys. "There are several facilities where Lex has upped the security. We'll need to infiltrate them one by one to discover what he's hiding.”

Chloe shifted from one foot to the other, a faint glint of amusement in her eyes as she looked at Oliver. "So...if someone's wearing that suit...and can't be seen...can the things they touch and move still be seen?" 

Clark smiled a little but didn't look up. "That's where the speed comes in handy," he replied, quietly bragging.

"Speed and accuracy will help prevent others from seeing things move around by themselves, so unless Impulse gets a wild hair to steal some bling, we should be okay." Oliver grinned knowingly at the youngest member. 

"But...theoretically..." Chloe tilted her head to one side. "Even if things were seen moving, you couldn't be caught. Right?" 

"Or they could just think the place was haunted," Sam muttered under his breath and smiled at Sarah.

Oliver nodded but he didn't quite think they believed him. "I see our intrepid reporter needs a demonstration."

Sarah looked up and over at the tall blonde. "I'm a little curious about it myself."

Before Dean could utter any complaints, Oliver eyed Clark. "Clark, you're holding the box. Go put that baby on and let's show them how it works."

Clark's head shot up, eyes wide as saucers, as his face flushed brightly. "Oliver, I don't think --" His eyes skirted towards Chloe anxiously.

Oliver held up a hand and pointed towards a small room. "Come on, Clark. You've been complaining about how you should use it first. Something about... looking best in it?"

“Oh God,” Dean groaned to himself and rubbed his eyes. 

Confusion flickered across her expression as she caught sight of the anxious look Clark gave her. She arched an eyebrow at him, silently asking what was wrong. 

"I'll do it," Bart volunteered with a smirk. 

"I bet you would, Flyboy," Dean remarked with an angry look. But he didn't like the thought of Clark in front of them, wearing nothing. He shuddered at his thoughts. 

"Clark," Oliver prompted seriously and watched the large giant's shoulders slump over a little and head for the other room.

Sarah's eyes shot up a little in concern. She knew Chloe had once loved this guy, but if she didn't know any better... She immediately shut off her thoughts from everyone else. Chloe didn't need to inadvertently heard what she suspected. 

Bart grinned at Dean, then shifted his gaze to Chloe. "You feeling better?" 

She blinked and glanced at him. "Huh? Oh. Yeah." 

"Bart," Dean said and gave him a look. "Keep it in your pants, okay?" 

He rolled his eyes. "What? I can't ask her if she's all right?" 

"Not when you're looking at her like she's already naked."

Sam put a hand over his mouth and tried not to laugh. He looked over at Sarah, whose eyes had grown wide with excitement? He frowned and followed her gaze.

"Whoa," Sarah whispered when Clark re-appeared in the invisible suit, which was anything but invisible at the moment. She felt Sam's disdain and grasped his hand, though she couldn't tear her eyes from the large grey-clad body standing awkwardly before them. 

Chloe glanced in the direction of the bathroom, watched the door open, and honed in on seeing a new side of Clark Kent. "Whoa," she echoed, her eyes widening a little. 

Clark felt Chloe and Sarah's appreciative eyes on his body when he walked out in the suit that felt plastered to his skin. His body flushed over what Chloe might be thinking, and he kept a firm hold of himself mentally to control his physical reaction to her gaze.

Dean didn't know what irritated him more: the trauma of knowing what Clark Kent more or less looked like without any clothes, or Chloe Sullivan's reaction to the same sight. He took her hand and glared at Oliver. "Hey, I thought you said he'd be invisible!"

Oliver laughed and picked up a tiny remote device lying on a table next to him. "Not until it's activated, Dean, and you can't activate it unless someone's in it."

"Too bad," Sam grumbled to himself. "I could have done without the peep show."

"You're not the only one," Bart grumbled. 

"Come on, guys. Being naked is natural. We come out naked," AC pointed out. 

"Thank God we don't stay that way," Dean said and pulled Chloe close to him.

"Oliver." Clark looked distinctly uncomfortable under everyone's scrutiny and blushed.

Oliver nodded and pushed the button on the remote receiver. Clark disappeared in a flash of light so quickly they barely had time to blink in surprise.

Sam stood up, mouth agape. 

"Cool," Chloe murmured, reaching her hand out to where Clark had been standing. There was nothing but air. 

Bart grinned. 

"Hey, Chloe! Watch where you're putting your hands," came Clark's disjointed yet strained voice.

Oliver laughed at the scowl on Dean's face. "What, dude? You wanted a demonstration." He moved across the room. "Clark! Show us what you can do." He flooded the entire building with a single touch of a button, giving them plenty of light to try to catch Clark's movements.

Clark shot around the room quickly, stopping momentarily to flick a switch or slightly move a jar. With his super-speed, he knew no one could see anything move.

"Where is he?" Sarah asked, her eyes scanning the room for some sign of life. 

Chloe turned when she felt a feather light touch against her hand where one of her bracelets dangled. It was suddenly gone and floating midair. She grinned, her eyes flashing with amusement. "From Superman to Invisible Man. Neat." 

Dean looked down and closed his eyes. _Yeah, real neat,_ he thought. The idea of anyone touching Chloe aroused what he thought was dead jealousy and rage. He felt a pair of curious eyes on him and turned to see Sarah gazing at him, concern written in her eyes. He shook his head in denial and focused on the present. 

An idea began to form in the back of Chloe's mind and a smile tugged at her lips. "I wanna be the one to go in to 33.1." 

"Fuck no," Dean demanded instantly and let her go abruptly.

A look of consternation passed over Oliver's usually stoic face. "Okay, Clark, show's over." He pressed the button again and Clark appeared suddenly on the other side of the room, a triumphant smirk on his face. 

"As long as I'm wearing the suit, no one can hurt me. They'll never even know I'm there," Chloe said, glancing at Dean. 

Dean gritted his teeth in anger, seeing red. "No," he rasped. "There's no way I'm letting you go into another 33.1 facility."

Sam stood up and looked at Chloe. "I second Dean's position," he said firmly.

Sarah looked at the men and then at Chloe. As much as she wanted to be on her friend's side, she was still tormented by nightmares of that day... and the ones proceeding them. "I agree with these two," she said softly. 

Her eyes darkened and narrowed and she turned to look at the members of the Justice League. "And what about you?" Anger knotted her stomach. 

Victor swallowed hard, looking sideways at AC and feeling as if there was about to be a big showdown of some kind and he wasn't sure he wanted to bear witness to it. 

Oliver folded his arms and chose his words carefully. "I think it's best you sat this one out, Watchtower. Ghostbuster and College Boy are right."

Dean's lips curled into a fleeting smirk. 

Her eyes narrowed more and she shifted her gaze to Clark. 

Clark had supersped to stand with the rest of the group stood but shifted uncomfortably, feeling pinned to his spot under her impatient stare. "I think she can take care of herself," he muttered under his breath.

Oliver shot him a look. "Clark, now's not the time to --"

"No, she's still not going," Dean declared harshly. 

Chloe's gaze was steely as she turned to look at him. "You don't own me," she said just as harshly. 

Dean grabbed her arm and turned her around to face her. "Look, I am not letting you within a mile of Lex-fucking-Luthor," he growled, unaffected by her intense scowl. Besides, I thought it was obvious why I don't want you there, he thought. 

It took every ounce of restraint she had not to shove him back away from her. "I'm tired of laying back and taking this shit from Lex. He tried to dissect me." Her voice was cold. "So maybe I'd like to have a little fun screwing with his mind for once, give him a taste of his own medicine." 

Sarah's eyes grew wide. "But Chloe, what if something happened while you were distracted? There's no guarantee this thing'll last. What do you think he'd do if he caught you?" 

"What do you think will happen if he catches any of us?" she shot back, shaking her head. 

Dean let her go and looked down. "And why do you suddenly feel the need to even put yourself in that position?"

"Now wait a minute," Clark protested, glaring at Dean. "She's been in sticky situations before. You'd be surprised what she can handle."

Dean's look turned murderous and he took a step towards Chloe's former – perhaps current -- love. The only thing restraining him was Sam, who had put a hand on his arm and shot him a warning look. 

Chloe shook her head and turned her back on all of them, heading out of the warehouse without looking back. 

"Crap," Bart muttered. 

Dean pried himself from his brother's grasp and made a move to follow, but Sam stopped him again. "Dude, let her go."

Oliver frowned and looked at Dean. "She's the most hard-headed woman I've ever met."

Sarah rolled her eyes and threw him a look. "Clearly, you don't know me," she replied and followed Chloe. She nearly had to run to catch up to her, her feet moving as fast as they could carry her. 

"I don't wanna talk about this," Chloe said without looking at her. 

Sarah frowned and grabbed Chloe's shoulder, spinning her around quickly. "Well, tough, because you're going to." 

Her eyes were dark and narrowed. "I'm tired of these cat and mouse games with Lex." 

She took a step back and nodded. "And you think we're not? You think I enjoyed being in your body and vice-versa?" she said quietly, her eyes downcast. "But do you know what happened with Dean the night we figured out where you'd been taken? What Sam did to get you out? Do you really know, Chloe?" She shuddered at the thought and briefly relived the anxiety, the terror, the sheer awe she felt at watching Sam hone his incredible powers, knowing Dean was on the verge of a breakdown and feeling helpless to stop it. 

"Do you know what Lex will do if he can get his hands on you or Sam, either one?" Her voice was distant. "He'll take you apart a piece at a time while you're strapped to a cold metal table, completely conscious." 

Sarah winced at the implication, prickles of fear shooting down her spine. "I get he's an evil man," she whispered and looked at her growing stomach. "I have no doubt he'd take my child if he could." 

Chloe gazed at her intently. "And I'm not gonna let that happen." 

"We're not going to let that happen," Sarah emphasized. "It's not just up to you, Chloe. Because if something happened to you again... Think about Dean, okay? He'd be a total mess without you." She stepped away and turned her back. 

She exhaled slowly, staring at her friend's back. Fine. Someone else can go in. 

Sarah rolled her eyes and looked back at Chloe. "Let one of the Justice Leaguers do it, for God sakes. This isn't just our fight, last time I checked." Without waiting for a response, Sarah stalked back towards the warehouse, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. 

Chloe turned away, drawing in a breath of the cool night air and heading farther away, needing some time and space to clear her mind. 

&&&&&

Chloe had been walking for nearly an hour and a half and had made it slightly over four miles, halfway to the motel when she heard the familiar sound from the Impala's engine behind her. She tensed a little, keeping her mental blocks firmly in place as she walked. 

Dean couldn't hold back the sigh of relief when he saw her stalking down the road. He had fruitlessly tried contacting her via cell phone and telepathically, but she had ignored him. He was pissed and knew she didn't want his input. He pulled off the road and parked the Impala.

"Dean, you might want to reconsider going after her," Sarah said in a small, scared voice. 

Sam winced as he watched her completely ignore them. He hadn't seen Chloe this pissed...ever. 

"What, you planning on picking her up and hauling her back to the hotel?" Dean asked and gave Sarah a pointed look.

She ducked her head into Sam's chest, her dark hair hiding her face. He had a point, but she could feel Chloe's anger radiating off her. She was a ticking time bomb and wasn't so sure Chloe would do as she wanted. 

Sam slid his hand gently through Sarah's dark hair. "Just...approach with caution, Dean," he warned softly. 

Dean rolled his eyes and got out of the car. Approach with caution, he grumbled to himself. Lately all he seemed to be was approaching her with caution. And frankly, he was getting tired of it. "Chloe!" he yelled as he ran towards her. 

She didn't respond, nor did she stop walking. Her shoulders were tense as she kept her eyes straight ahead of her, determined to walk every step back to the motel. 

He frowned and picked up his pace, running around her until she smacked into him. He grabbed her arms and glared at her. "Stop, dammit," he growled. "You're not walking back to the hotel." 

Chloe glared back at him, her green eyes dark with anger. "Watch me," she growled back. 

"Then watch me toss you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes," he returned and gripped her arms. He stared at her, saw the flash of fiery hot anger behind her emerald depths, and met that gaze with a small smirk. 

She yanked one arm away from him. "Don't think I'll go willingly." 

"What the hell is wrong with you?" 

She stared at him. "Are you kidding me?" she snapped, shaking her head. "Other than the fact you humiliated me in front of Sam and Sarah and the entire Justice League by treating me like a six year old?" 

Feeling like a bucket of icy cold water had been dumped over his head, Dean shook his head and stared at her incredulously. "Is this my daily 'what the fuck' moment? How was I treating you like a six year old when you had that Luke Skywalker 'the fate of the world is in my hands' look on your face?" 

"You have no faith in me at all whatsoever, do you?" she demanded. 

His eyes narrowed. "You know that's not true." If anything, she had no faith in him, he mused, his expression growing pained. 

"No, I don't." She turned away from him, sudden tears flooding her eyes. She blinked them back furiously, refusing to cry. "Do you know how useless I feel?" Her voice was barely audible. 

"Useless?" Dean looked down and away from her. How could she feel that way? "Didn't you save my ass from death? Aren't you part of the brains of this operation? Weren't you the one who got help from Oliver and the gang?" He looked over at her. Don't you know you know I'm useless without you?

"Dean, you've spent your entire life saving other people's lives. You're hardly useless."

"Not when it's counted." 

Her eyebrows furrowing, she turned to face him. "What are you talking about?" 

"Mom. Dad. Nearly you. When I thought I'd have to kill Sam." He turned his back to her and took a couple steps to the Impala. "What's the point if I can't save the people I love?" 

She flinched. "You did save me. And you didn't have to kill Sam. The rest..." She shook her head. "It's not your fault, Dean." 

"Doesn't matter if it was or wasn't," he pointed out. "It's done. I failed. It's over." He turned and walked back to her. "So if you go into that fucking facility, I'll be following you. With or without that damn skin tight suit." 

Chloe stared at him for a long, silent moment as the darkness swam around them. Some of the tension began to leave her body at the sight of the barely contained fear and pain in his hazel eyes. Wordlessly she moved closer to him, lifting a hand to his cheek. 

Her touch made him weak. Literally. He groaned inwardly and turned his face into her palm, lightly kissing her skin. "We'll all figure something out, okay?" he whispered. "Let Kent do his thing; we need the rest." He paused for a moment and opened his eyes. "Besides, we have other things to worry about. I think there's something going on with Sam and Sarah." 

Still touching his face softly, her eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?" 

"Sam's being a lot less chatty than usual. I think it's got something to do with your recent body switch." He stepped back and glanced at the Impala. Sam and Sarah were talking, though about what, he wasn't sure. They had mentally shut him out as well. 

Chloe frowned, looking toward the car as well. "Hmm." 

Sarah noticed Dean and Chloe watching them from her peripheral vision and stilled. "Sam, we need to tell them about the protection spell," she whispered. They had spent the better part of the last few days pouring over the Internet for something to protect their unborn son. 

"I agree," he murmured, stroking her hair absently as he followed her gaze. 

"Okay," she replied quietly and leaned her head against his chest. They were quiet for a moment, Sam watching Dean and Chloe walk back to the Impala. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes. "When are we going to talk about your abilities?"

He stiffened a little, pulling her closer against him. "What about them?" 

She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the doors opening. She pushed away from Sam, sat up, and watched Dean and Chloe get in the front. "I don't know, Sam," she replied firmly. "I just didn't know you could... do all that."

Dean paused and turned back with raised eyebrows at his brother. 

Sam looked down, feeling distinctly uncomfortable. "Surprise," he murmured. 

"Yeah, it was a surprise," she whispered and looked out the other window, her face a mask of neutrality.

"Sammy," Dean said, reverting back to his brother's nickname, "what's going on?" 

He drew in a breath and looked out his own window. "Talking about my creepy psychic powers." 

Dean cleared his throat and looked out the windshield. "Sounds like fun," he muttered and started the car. 

He didn't respond, falling silent as his brother began to drive. 

Chloe bit her lower lip, glancing sideways at Dean and hesitantly resting her left hand down on the seat halfway between them. 

"I don't think they're creepy," Sarah said quietly, her eyes never straying from the window. Maybe it was the strain of the body swap, or possibly the state of chaos in which they found themselves now. The problem was she had been thinking about what happened quite a bit, and despite her desire to talk about it, she mentally kicked herself for doing it at the wrong time. 

Sam leaned his head against the glass, staring blankly out the window as mountains flew by in the distance. Sarah might not think his powers were creepy, but he did. Sure, he'd used those powers to save Chloe's life, but the same powers could very easily be used for destruction rather than rescue. The thought of losing control, of harming someone, possibly someone he loved, frightened him. 

Sarah closed her eyes and tried not to cry at hearing his thoughts. She silently reached out and grasped his hand, squeezing it a little.

Dean cleared his throat loudly. "So, who's up for some chow? I'm starving." Chloe's hand resting on the seat between them looked tempting, and his palm itched to touch her. But he refrained, the fear she'd bolt alive in his mind.

Chloe slowly removed her hand from the center of the seat, resting it on her lap. Truthfully she wasn't the least bit hungry, so she remained silent. 

Dean waited for some sound from the backseat, but when no one else said anything, he grunted, "Fine. I'll get something by myself." He glanced at the rearview mirror at Sam's seriously disturbed face and grimaced. _Dude, it's time we dealt with your abilities,_ he shot a thought towards him. 

_I don't wanna talk about this right now,_ Sam thought, shutting his mind off to everyone. 

Chloe drew in a breath and let it out slowly, resting her temple against the passenger window. She had a feeling it was going to be a long night. 

Dean pounded on the steering wheel. "It is going to be a long night," he ground out between clenched teeth, "because between your wish to play superhero and Sam's fear of hurting one of us with abilities that can clearly kick some demonic ass, it's a wonder I have any hair left."

Sarah snorted softly but said nothing. She kept her hand around Sam's, not letting go when he tried to yank it away. 

Chloe tensed at his words, and promptly put up her mental walls, frustrated and angry all over again, as well as hurt. "Maybe we should just leave each other alone for the night."

Sarah flinched at the hurt in Chloe's voice and sunk further into the seat. She felt caught somehow in the struggle, and she felt responsible. "Maybe that's a good idea," she agreed after a moment. 

Dean hit the brakes and slid onto the side of the road, angry and hurt. 

Sam drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Why are we stopping?" His voice was quiet but neutral. 

Dean shut off the engine and turned around to look at the other three. "Because I'd like to know when the hell we suddenly stopped being family," he replied calmly, though his eyes sparked with anger and defeat.

Sarah opened her eyes and looked at Dean. "Families fight, don't you know that?" 

"He knows that," Sam said, glancing at her sideways as he remembered all the screaming matches he and his father had had over the years. 

Sarah blushed and looked down again. No, she didn't know that. Not really.

Dean sucked in a breath and looked around at the other inhabitants of the car. Chloe wouldn't even acknowledge his remark, which cut him inside. After a moment of intense silence, the tension thick as a steak, he muttered, "Luthor and the demon are going to kill us." 

"You just figured that out?" Without looking at him, Chloe opened the passenger door and stepped out onto the side of the road, slamming the door shut behind her. 

Sam shut his eyes. 

Dean didn't move for a moment; he just watched her walk away. Something she was so good at, he thought. He finally slid out of the Impala and shouted, "Fine, walk away, Chloe! I'm leaving you here if you don't get back in here." 

"Then go ahead." She didn't turn around. 

He stared at her, dumbfounded. It was fucking Sam all over again, he thought, when he had been hell bent on a mission to find Dad in California. He blinked, his heart sinking to his feet. Without saying another word, he got into the car and, starting it, sped off onto the wide open road... leaving his heart with the stubborn blonde he'd just left behind.

Sarah sat ramrod straight in her seat and smacked Dean in the head. "What the fuck are you doing, Dean Winchester?" she shouted. 

"Dean, stop the car," Sam commanded, glaring at him. 

"No," he replied and gripped the steering wheel.

Sarah grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled with all her might. "Stop the car or you'll be bald like Lex Luthor," she spat.

"OW!" he yelled when his head was yanked back against the headrest, her grip on his hair tight. He swore he felt his scalp screaming for mercy. "Sam, get your wife off me!" 

His jaw tensing, Sam narrowed his eyes and put gentle pressure on the brakes with his mind, steering the car off the side of the road against Dean's will. "We're not leaving her on the side of the road," he said, glaring at him as he climbed out of the car. 

"Jesus, Sammy. First you don't want to talk about your freaky mind powers and then you use them against me?!" The eldest Winchester smacked Sarah's hand until she let go.

"Sam, get the keys," she replied softly and got out of the car. 

Pausing in his tracks, Sam focused his mind and floated the keys over to where he stood, pocketing them in his jeans. He turned to look at Chloe, walking toward them without falter though her eyes were locked on the ground, a couple of tears streaking down her cheeks. 

Sarah stood in front of the blonde and put gentle hands on her shoulders when she approached. "Hey," she whispered with a smile. "We're not leaving you, no matter how big an ass Dean's being." 

Wordlessly she shut her eyes and rested her chin on Sarah's shoulder as she struggled not to break down on the side of the road. 

With a despairing sigh, she pulled Chloe into a warm hug and held her for a moment. She wasn't sure what to say, especially considering she wasn't that familiar with Chloe's past. Whatever it was, though, it was big. And glaring. And beyond Dean's conception, obviously. "We should get our own rooms tonight," she whispered after she felt the other woman's shoulders stop shuddering with unshed tears. 

"Yeah," she murmured, hastily wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands, forcing herself to draw in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She avoided Sam's gaze and wordlessly headed for the back of the car while Sarah moved to the other side. 

Sam watched them go and approached the driver's side, opening the door abruptly. "Move over." 

"No," Dean demanded and held out his hand impatiently for the keys. He ignored Chloe, though he felt her resignation and a bitterness he thought was long gone. 

"Move over or I'll move you myself." There wasn't a hint of joking in Sam's voice as he looked at Dean warningly. 

Dean rolled his eyes and muttered, "I'd like to see you try." But he scooted over to the passenger side and gave up his station as the driver. He leaned back against the seat and shoved his sunglasses on his face.

Sarah looked at the back of Sam's head and tried to smile. "Sam, Chloe and I... we're getting our own room tonight." 

"Yeah, okay," he said quietly, meeting her gaze in the rearview mirror and nodding a little as he pulled out the keys and started the Impala's engine. 

Chloe laid her head against the glass, wrapping her arms around herself. And wishing she could disappear. 

&&&&&

No sooner had Dean walked into his hotel room than he felt his body thrust backwards and against the wall... without anyone touching him. "What the?" he shouted. 

Sam glared at him, shutting the door behind them hard. "What the hell are you doing, Dean?" 

He tried to pry an arm off the wall but it wouldn't move. "Right now I'm about to be shoved through the wall," he growled. 

"With Chloe," he growled back, shaking his head in disbelief. 

For a moment Dean didn't say anything; all he could do was glare at his oh-so-suddenly-powerful-smart-ass little brother. "Trying to protect her, what do you think?" he finally got out. 

"By treating her like crap and leaving her in the middle of nowhere? How the hell is that protecting her?" 

"She wanted to be left there!" he protested. "And I didn't treat her like crap! She's so damned willing to get herself killed." 

"Gee, maybe she got that from you." Sam stared at him. 

Dean blinked in surprise. "This is so not about me," he growled. "Not let me down. Sam." A part of him admitted his brother was right, but he wasn't going to admit it out loud. 

"No." He shook his head again. "Are you trying to ruin things between the two of you? Because if you are, you're doing a bang-up job, Dean." Letting out a breath, Sam moved and sat down on the edge of the nearest bed. "You know she has issues with abandonment. You know that better than anyone." 

His words stung, and Dean knew his brother aimed low and honest in this kind of conversation. Yeah, he knew all about her abandonment issues: the problem was when she wanted things her way and he said no, she was all too willing to leave. "Kinda funny, considering all she tries to do is leave," he said quietly. 

"Yeah well maybe that's because in the past everyone else has left her first." Sam gazed at him intently. 

"Hey, who said I was leaving her?" he said before he realized what he'd just said. He closed his eyes and pounded his head against the wall. "Fuck." 

Wordlessly, Sam let his brother out of his mental death-grip and laid back on the bed, exhaling slowly. 

Dean crumpled to the floor and stayed there for a moment. Dazed and numb, all he wanted to do was crawl into the Impala and hide for the rest of his life. "I can't believe I did that," he whispered, his voice filled with regret and self-loathing. 

He was silent for a long moment. "I don't like that she runs away so easily either. I know it hurts you." He propped himself up on his elbows and gazed at Dean. "But it hurts her even more," he finished softly. 

He closed his eyes and beat his against the wall once more. "Yeah, gonna tell me why, Sam?" he asked tiredly. 

"Because it makes her hate herself." He looked up at the ceiling, then shut his eyes, as well. "Leaving the only real family she has...even if you think you're doing it for all the right reasons...deep down the guilt...it eats away at you a little at a time." 

Didn't he know about that, Dean thought, lip trembling a little at the flash of pain he felt both through him. He had come from her, he realized, and he felt what was left of his heart smash because she never trusted him enough to let him be her family. Because he had never let her in. Because he had never known what it was like to love someone.

"You love her." Sam rolled his head to look at him intently. "It's scary and hard, but you do. And I know you don't wanna lose her, Dean. But you gotta stop pushing her away." He sighed and rested an arm over his eyes as he realized he needed to follow his own advice. 

Dean laughed bitterly. "Got any ideas on how to do that, Einstein? Because last time I checked, you're being less than open with Sarah." 

"Yeah. I know I am," he admitted very quietly. "So apparently our stubbornness runs in the family." 

Dean sat up but remained propped against the wall, his arms resting on his knees. He gazed at Sam for a moment. "They're just as stubborn as we are, Sam, but we can't let anything happen to them... or my nephew." 

"Yeah. About that." Sam sat up slowly and looked at his brother. "Sarah and I are working on a way to protect her and the baby, to keep them safe from the demon or anything or anyone else that might want to harm them." 

"You are?" he asked, his brow furrowed with concern. "You think the demon's out to get them?" He pushed himself to a standing position. 

"Yeah. I do," he said quietly. "Sarah's even more convinced." 

Fear replaced the emptiness in his soul. If she believed something could happen to their baby... "Well, have you found anything yet?" 

"Yeah. There's a spell, but the timing has to be perfect. Requires a full moon." 

Dean moved to his bag and grabbed his journal, which contained a calendar. "Dude, full moon's next week," he said and looked at Sam. "What do you need for this spell? You two sure it's going to work?" 

"Pretty sure," Sam said confidently, nodding. "It's not complicated." 

"Good. Good," he muttered and rubbed a hand over his face. "So you think they're ever going to talk to us again?" he joked though his voice was hard.

"Depends," Sarah said from the connecting door. "You going to stop being an asshole?" 

Sam smirked in response and looked at his brother. 

Dean rolled his eyes and let Sarah in. "Only if you'll let me next door," he suggested with a smile.

Sarah laughed and moved to get her bag. "No way, Dean," she replied. "We were serious about the whole 'not being in your presence' thing. But maybe you forgot to read the memo." She didn't dare look at Sam as she headed for the connecting door. 

"See you in the morning," Sam said softly, gazing at her. I love you, he added mentally, gazing at her. 

She froze in mid-stride at his mental declaration but kept going, her hand shutting the door behind her quietly. She locked the door and rested against it a moment, tears pooling in her eyes. 

Chloe was curled up in bed, staring blankly at the TV screen--some old black and white horror flick was playing on AMC, but she wasn't paying attention. "Sarah...you know, I can get a room to myself. Just because Dean and I are having issues doesn't mean you and Sam should suffer." 

She shook her head and laughed to herself. "No, Chloe. I can't be around Sam right now. I think you're a little more important than the fears he chooses to not share with me." She dropped her bag and sat down in a chair at the table, stroking her stomach absently. 

She sighed softly, closing her eyes. "Sometimes I wish I was a lesbian." She pulled the blankets up to her chest and stared at the ceiling. 

Sarah looked sightlessly at the television and snorted softly in agreement. "It'd make everything better, you'd think." But she glanced down at her growing stomach, thought about the love she and Sam shared to create life, and shook her head. "But you love Dean, Chloe, almost as much as he loves you." 

Yeah, she thought, keeping her mental walls firmly in place. He sure does. She turned over so she was on her side. 

"I know you don't believe it because he was a total jerk today, but you should have seen him when you went missing," the brunette continued softly, her eyes closed. "I've never seen him so lost." 

Chloe shut her eyes once more, as well. "I'm just...tired, Sarah," she murmured. 

"Fine, Chloe," she drawled out and shook her head. "I know when I'm not wanted." She stood up and headed for the connecting door. "Just so you know, hiding's only going to push him away." 

"That's..." She sighed softly and buried her face in the pillow as she heard the door shut behind her friend. "Not what I meant," she whispered into the silence. 

When Dean heard the connecting door open quietly, he called out Chloe's name before he saw Sarah walk through. A little disappointed, he glanced back at his brother. 

Sam could tell by the dejected look on his wife's face that she wasn't having any more luck with Chloe than Dean was. He sighed softly and rose to his feet, wrapping his arms around her wordlessly. 

Her body immediately relaxed in her husband's embrace, though her mind wouldn't shut off. "Sam, please go talk to her," she whispered under her breath. "Dean and I need to talk." 

He dropped a kiss against her forehead, cupping her cheek in one hand. "Okay," he said softly so that only she could hear him. "And he's really beating himself up over earlier, so..." 

She bit back a smile and leaned into his gentle touch. "Good, then he can handle what I intend to tell him." She stepped back and looked at Dean, who hadn't really moved from his position in front of the window. 

Sam kissed her lips softly and dropped his mental walls from her. We need to talk soon. His eyes were filled with warmth. 

Sarah couldn't help the single tear that slipped from her eye when her entire being was flooded with love and need. We do, she replied and smiled at him, love in her eyes.

"God, you two get a fucking room, will ya?" Dean growled.

"Dean, you and I need to talk," she said and turned to face the eldest Winchester. She felt Sam brush his fingers against her lower back and watched him cross through the connecting door. 

"Now you've gotten the lumberjack out of the way, I'm all ears," Dean grumbled once Sam left the room. 

Sarah gazed at him intently. "I think it goes without saying you were a major jerk today." 

He snorted with laughter. "Gee, and here I thought you were going to cheer me up, Sarah." He didn't look at her, though, because she was right. 

She let out a breath and sat down on Sam's bed. "I'm your sister-in-law. I figure it's my job to give you crap and keep you in line." 

"I don't know who's worse, you or Sam," he grumbled under his breath and moved away from the window. "Look, if you're going to yell, then yell. After Sam, I can handle almost anything." 

"I'm not gonna yell. This time. But I am going to tell you that you're gonna lose her if you keep pushing her away." 

Dean sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I know that. But if she won't open up to me, I don't know what else to do." He stopped and rolled his eyes, wondering why he was pouring his heart out to his sister-in-law. 

"Maybe you should try opening up to her," she said pointedly. 

"Yeah, like I should try bungee jumping." 

Sarah narrowed her eyes. "You won't open up to her but you expect her to open up to you? What the hell is that about?" she demanded. 

"What makes you think I haven't tried opening up to her?!" 

She snorted. "Right, but you Winchesters are always so into sharing with other people."

"Like you two are any better," he pointed out. "Hell, you married my brother, and he's Mr. Mute about... whatever." 

"Tell me something I didn't already know," she snapped. 

He held up his hands. "Okay, Sarah. Chill. You and Sam have issues, but that's not going to help me out, is it?" 

"Maybe if you and Sam did a little more talking, Chloe and I wouldn't be wondering if things are even gonna last." 

His face faltered as his arms fell to his side. "What the hell makes you think that? Don't we do everything to protect you two? Isn't keeping you safe enough?" 

"Of course it's not!" Sarah threw her hands up in the air. "Yeah, you're protecting our lives, but relationships need more than to just be in survival mode, Dean!" 

Dean cocked his head to the side and gazed at her. "But when you live in survival mode, what else is there?" he asked quietly, his voice inquiring. 

Tears prickled at her eyes at the serious curiosity in his voice. "Life," she whispered. 

Dean pondered Sarah's response and looked down. Life. In his line of work, survival was the thing that truly mattered, and despite Chloe's presence, despite how much he needed her, he had been selfish. Because his survival mode still overrode his need to survive and actually live. The thought humbled him. 

"Just...think about it," Sarah said very softly. 

He nodded. "How is she?" he asked quietly, seriously. 

She looked down for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't know. She's not really saying much." 

He nodded solemnly. "Sounds a lot like me."

In the other room, Sam watched Chloe watch the movie on TV. Not saying anything, not even acknowledging his presence in the room. 

"What is it, Sam?" Her voice was quiet, tired. 

"You need to talk." His eyes remained steady on her face. 

"So you're a psychologist now?" 

He sighed heavily. "No, it's the defeated, empty look on your face that gave it away, Chlo," he whispered. Sarah had the same look lately, and it bothered him they were both so unhappy. 

The worry in his voice made her shut her eyes and when he gently took the remote from her hand and clicked the TV off, she let out a breath and leaned back against the headboard. "I don't know if I can keep doing this." 

Sam nodded and looked down at his hands. "Yeah, I know what you mean," he admitted quietly. 

She swallowed hard, wrapping her arms around herself. "Do you wish things were different?" 

He nodded slightly. "Yeah, sometimes, Chloe. Sometimes I wish that... I wish I was still at Stanford, that my mom hadn't died, that Jess..." He paused and shook his head. 

She winced a little. "Yeah," she whispered. 

"But then I think about Sarah," he continued after a moment, a peaceful smile crossing his face. "She's the light that keeps me going, and I wouldn't have met her if Dean hadn't dragged me from school one night." He got lost in his thoughts for a moment. "Dean and I wouldn't be where we are if he hadn't done that." 

"Sarah's good for you," Chloe murmured. "You're good for her, too." 

"Kinda like you're good for Dean," he replied, his smile knowing. 

She shrugged a little, not looking at him or smiling. "Not really. We're completely different. Dean's...well, he's Dean." 

"Yeah, we know all about Dean, but you're more like him than you realize." 

"Oh, do tell how exactly we're so much alike." 

Sam crossed his arms and slouched in his seat. "There's the snark, for one. I've never seen anyone as sarcastic as Dean. 'Bout damn time he met his match there." 

"Yeah, well...that and a dime won't buy a decent cup of coffee," she whispered. 

"Doesn't even begin to cover it," Sam replied and held out his hand. "You're intelligent, and like Dean, want to barrel into something to protect the ones you love. You're passionate about what you believe in. And Chloe... you two are the most stubborn people in the world. Add to that the way you feel about each other, and it's a wonder the demon hasn't died from the tension between you." 

She shuddered and pressed a hand to her face. "He's gonna get himself killed." 

"No he's not," Sam protested quietly and stood up straight. "You won't let him." 

"Are you kidding me?" She looked at him in disbelief, tears shining in her eyes. "First chance he gets, he's gonna jump in front of one of us--you, me, Sarah--and he'll be gone, just like that." 

"Not if he understands how much you mean to him," Sam replied with a sad smile. "Does he really know? When he jumps, are you going to help the rest of us save him?" 

"He knows how much he means to me, Sam. I'm just not sure he really cares." Her voice was dejected and she looked down at the bedspread. 

Sam thought for a moment and then looked at his blonde friend. She had become such an intricate part of their lives, he couldn't imagine not having her around. "He cares more than you know, Chloe," he whispered. "When you were in the hospital, he didn't leave your side. Actually tried to kill me for taking him away for a minute." 

A tear slid down her cheek and she rested her head against her knees. "The problem is, Sam...he doesn't wanna lose me. He doesn't care if I lose him." 

"Have you told him that?" 

"What's the point?" she asked dully, not looking up. "He's the most stubborn person on the planet. You said so yourself." 

"No, I said both of you are." He gave her a pointed look. "Tell him, Chloe. I think he needs to hear it now more than ever." 

Chloe shut her eyes, letting his words sink in. 

Sam leaned against his legs and looked at the floor again. His largest fear seemed to be coming true: Chloe was going to run away, and this time no one would find her. "You want to know what's going to happen?" he asked after several minutes of silence. 

Letting out a breath, she turned her head to look at him. "What?" Her voice was quiet. 

"Dean will regret it if you leave," he said carefully. "And as much as I know how much you miss and want to see your family, you'll regret leaving him more. And if you don't tell him that, then we're not going to get through this. We're lost without you." 

"Don't lay that on me," she whispered, pain flashing in her eyes. 

"I'm not laying anything on you, Chloe," he said and stood up. "You put it on yourself." 

She scoffed. "How exactly did I do that?" 

"By avoiding the damn issue," he admitted. "You tell me you don't think Dean cares if you lose him, and I'm telling you he does. Yet you won't see the truth, and neither Sarah nor I have been successful in convincing you of that. Like it or not, Chloe, you're part of our family, and Dean's damn lucky to have you." 

She raked a hand through her hair and laid back on the bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling. 

&&&&&

Clark felt powerful as he broke through the back door of the 33.1 facility, approaching it with all the confidence of Midas touching his possessions to make them golden. He paused and grinned at the security guards and electromagnetic gates, waving his hand in front of them for a second before super speeding into the facility itself. The door flew open as if a wind had scooted around it and remained slightly ajar.

Oliver had given him all the information he needed to break into the third floor, where whatever project Lex was working on was housed. He paused at the door for a moment and hesitated momentarily at the green kryptonite rocks lining the door's exterior. The familiar stinging weakness he usually felt wasn't present, so Clark chalked it up to being completely protected by Oliver's suit. It was more than cool, he thought. Reaching out, he quickly pulled the keypad out of the wall.

A quick flash of light emanated from his body suddenly and he fell to the floor. His blood was boiling with heated shades of pain. Clark collapsed to the floor in agony, his entire being flooded with something akin to fire flowing through his veins. The door swung open, but he knew there was no way he'd get through it. Something was wrong, he realized, his body flailing against the ever-rising heat from his body's reaction to the kryptonite. He whispered a small cry for help, though he understood none of his Justice Leaguers could help this time. Not unless they read minds. 

&&&&&

Chloe gasped for breath as she sat up quickly in bed, her heart thundering against her chest. Sweat beaded on her forehead like dew drops on a rose on a chilly spring morning. Something was wrong. In the back of her mind she could hear Clark's voice, calling for help. Her eyebrows furrowed and she climbed out of bed, throwing some clothes on quickly and heading out of her motel room 

without so much as a backward glance. She pulled the spare set of keys to the Impala from her jacket pocket and climbed inside quickly. 

Clark was in trouble. 

She had to help him. 

&&&&&

The sound of the Impala's tires squealing off into the distance abruptly woke Dean from a less than sound sleep. He turned over, bleary-eyed, and got out of bed. "Sammy!" he called. "You here or did you and Sarah elope again?" 

"What?" Sam mumbled sleepily, lifting his head off the pillow. 

"Okay, awkward," he grumbled and stumbled to the window. He rubbed his eyes and glanced outside. And at the empty spot where the Impala once stood. "Sonofabitch." 

"What's wrong?" he asked, glancing down at where Sarah lay beside him asleep. 

"She took the Impala," he gritted between clenched teeth. He turned and ran for the connecting door, only to find the room abandoned. Cursing under his breath, he began sifting through their things, looking for his car keys. 

Growing worried, Sam climbed from the bed, rubbing his eyes tiredly and followed Dean into Chloe's empty room. "Where the hell would she have gone?" 

Dean didn't respond for a moment. It wasn't like he'd been paying much attention to her thoughts, not that Chloe had let him in. "You're the mind reader. Why don't you tell me, Sam?" 

He paused, closing his eyes and focusing his mind on reaching out to Chloe's. His eyebrows furrowed. "Something's wrong." 

"No kidding," he snapped, unable to hide the worry in his voice. "Where the hell is she?" 

"I don't know, but she's upset. Really upset." He raked a hand through his hair. 

Dean wondered for a moment if this was it, that their argument earlier -- which he admittedly started -- had finally driven her off. He refused to think about it, though, and reached for his cell phone. "Fine, I'm calling Oliver. He can track her using the GPS in her cell phone." He grabbed his phone. 

Nodding, Sam headed back into their shared room and moved to the bed, hesitating a moment before gently shaking Sarah. "Sarah." 

"Sam?" she whispered and sat up suddenly, her sleep still upon her. "What's wrong?" She heard the tension in his voice. 

He touched her cheek. "Chloe's gone. She took off in the Impala. Dean's calling Oliver to activate the GPS in her phone." 

Sarah blinked, her body tense with dismay. "She's gone?" she whispered, tears springing to her eyes. "No, she can't be. I... I should've stayed with her." 

"I don't think she's running away," he said quickly. "Something's wrong." 

"Like what?" Sarah moved out of bed and pulled on her jeans quickly. 

"I'm not sure." He pulled a shirt on and looked up when Dean stepped back into the room. "What'd he say?" 

"It's Clark. He tried breaking into 33.1 earlier and something went all Dr. Who with the suit." Dean ignored Sarah's widened eyes and grabbed his jacket. "He's been taken, and Queen's guess was Chloe went after him." His jaw twitched angrily. She was so angry, so desperate to be rid of the rest of them, that she was going headlong into a trap. One that Clark Kent had made. 

Sam stared at him in shock. "She's going to 33.1. Alone?" 

"That's our intrepid reporter. Always willing to sacrifice herself."

"She's going to get herself killed," Sarah whispered and blindly groped for her shoes. 

"We gotta hurry." Sam grabbed his wife's jacket and helped her into it. 

Dean turned to look at them. "How? We're not going anywhere until Bart picks us up in the 'company car'," he growled. 

He turned and met his brother's gaze. "We both know how to hot wire cars." 

"Then... go hot wire a damn car, Sam. What are you sitting around for?" 

"And what are you gonna do?" he demanded, shaking his head. 

"Sit here with my thumb up my ass while the woman I love tries to off herself for someone else."

"Guys, enough!" Sarah yelled impatiently. "Both of you go get a car. I'll try Chloe on her cell." 

Sam started at her angry tone, and quickly headed for the door. 

Dean glared at his sister in law and opened his mouth to speak, but she shut him up with a look.

"Please, hurry," she whispered to him. "I know you're in a tailspin, but now's not the time for that, Dean."

He smirked. "Who the hell said anything about a tailspin, Sarah? I'm fine." He strode out the door without further prompting.

She stared after the Winchesters and sighed. Dean was many things, but lying about how he really felt wasn't one of them. 

&&&&&

Chloe opened the trunk of the Impala and pulled out Dean's shotgun, cocking it. The look in her eyes was dark, determined, and she strode purposefully toward the entrance of the warehouse, knowing that the abandoned look was a disguise for the casual passerby. It wasn't a disguise that fooled her. She knew the Luthors far too well for far too long to take anything for granted. 

She lifted her chin as she yanked open the entrance, ignoring the alarm that went off. She aimed the gun directly at the first guard. "If you wanna survive the night, take me to where you're holding my friend. Now." 

The guard smirked and grabbed the blonde girl quickly, pressing a button once he had her hands bound. "This way, then," he said when several armed guards appeared. Together, they led her to the lower level, where the prisoner they'd captured earlier was currently in custody. 

The man shoved her into a darkened room and slammed the door shut, locking it behind him when he left. She gritted her teeth, tugging ineffectually at the rope binding her hands. Her eyes widened as she spotted Clark in the corner, curled up on the floor. "Clark!" 

"Chloe?" Clark swore he heard her soft voice from the haze of kryptonite flowing in his veins. He tried to lift his head but it felt like it was made of lead. "Chloe..." 

She quickly moved over to him, kneeling down on the ground. "God, are you all right?" She winced as she saw the large pieces of glowing green rock on the floor beside him. She quickly stood once more, kicking it away as far as she could. 

It took him a moment to recover before pulling his bonds off. "Fine, but what are you doing here?" 

"You called for help," she answered. 

He sat up and looked at her intently for a moment before breaking the ropes that held her hands. "You read my mind." He grasped her arms gently. 

"Lucky for you." She smiled faintly. "Let's get the hell outta here." 

"Good idea," Clark whispered and stood up. Seconds later, he was on the floor again, writhing in pain. 

"Clark!" She quickly knelt beside him again, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What is it?" 

Clark looked up and quickly scanned the bars of their cell. "The bars," he panted after a moment. "They're laced with kryptonite." He scooted to the back of the cell and felt his body cool once again. 

She shut her eyes and swore under her breath. "Guess we're trapped." 

He closed his eyes and nodded. "Chlo, I'm sorry. You shouldn't have come." He blushed, embarrassed, and looked down. "It's this suit. It stopped working." 

"Hey. It's not like you haven't put your ass on the line for me a hundred times before," she said with a faint smile, moving to sit beside him and letting out a breath. 

He tensed when her arm brushed against his. "Yeah, well, it's not everyday you're trapped in an impenetrable facility." 

"You'd be surprised," she said darkly. 

He arched an eyebrow. "Really? When did this happen?" 

Chloe looked at him sideways. "Not too long ago. And you know about that already, Clark." 

He stared at her intently. "When Dean couldn't save you," he grunted. 

She narrowed her eyes a little. "He did save me," she objected. 

He looked down at his bare feet and nodded. "I should've known. I never would've let Lex take you like he did." 

She softened a little at his words. "Can't save everyone, Clark." 

"I'm supposed to," he whispered and snuck a look at her. "After what happened to you... Chloe, I couldn't live with myself if I thought I'd lose you." 

She sighed softly and rested a hand on his arm. "You didn't lose me." 

He inhaled deeply and touched her hand but said nothing. He stared at her, took in her familiar features, and sighed. When had he fallen for his best friend?

&&&&&

"God, Sam, of all the cars in the lot, you had to choose the one that can't get past 40 miles an hour." Dean pressed firmly against the gas pedal and heard the car practically groan in response. "It's like the hamsters in

the engine are complaining or something." 

"I didn't see you picking out anything faster," he pointed out. 

"Like you gave me time to." 

Sam rolled his eyes and didn't respond. 

The engine whirred in protest when Dean tried to make it go faster. "See? Nothing!"

"Dean, that's not the point," Sarah replied flatly. "How are we going to save Chloe when we have no idea how to get into 33.1?"

Dean said nothing and gripped the steering wheel. 

"Turn left here," Sam ordered, gripping onto the dash as his brother squealed the tires turning a sharp left. 

Sarah moved slightly in the cramped backseat but kept her eyes firmly planted on Dean's head. "Ideas? Thoughts? A plan or two? Got something? Anything?" she demanded.

Truth was, Dean had nothing. He wasn't even sure Sam's abilities could get them into the building this time around. Luthor had to have seen the surveillance footage from the last round and taken care to protect himself. "We'll figure it out," he muttered instead. 

Sam watched as the warehouse suddenly loomed into view. A knot formed in his stomach and he glanced in the rearview at Sarah. 

Sarah blanched. "You just going to waltz in there and ask for Chloe and Clark back?"

"Thought it'd be more effective if I used my gun," Dean deadpanned. 

"You're not going in," he said very softly, still gazing at her. 

"No Sam," she protested quietly, eyes pleading. "I want to help Chloe. It's my fault she left."

Dean looked in the rearview mirror, surprised. "Bullshit, Sarah. It's my fault she's gone. I should've stopped her." I'm partly the reason she left. 

Sam sighed impatiently. "It's no one's fault. Chloe didn't up and leave because she was pissed. She left because Clark was in trouble." 

"Yeah, because superheros can't take care of themselves," Dean grumbled and pulled the car to a halt under a grove of trees near the facility. 

"Clearly this one can't," he responded. 

Sarah sighed and lowered her head so it hid behind her long dark hair.

"Plus, it's Clark, and we both know how she feels about the guy," Dean snapped, not looking at his brother. 

Sam looked at him. "Dean."

Dean held up a hand. "Not now, 'kay? Got bigger fish to fry." He indicated towards the large warehouse protected by several obvious shields. "You gonna help me break in or what?" 

He glanced in the backseat hesitantly. 

Sarah leaned back and crossed her arms. "If I'm not going, then you should," she replied flatly. "Someone's got to make sure Dean doesn't get his butt fried extra crispy."

Dean smirked. "Careful, Sarah, you're starting to sound like a Winchester."

"That's because I am one, asshole."

Sam smirked at his brother. "We'll be back." He leaned into the backseat and kissed her cheek. 

"Be careful," she whispered timidly and leaned into his caress. "If anything happens to you --"

"Nothing will happen to him," Dean interjected. "If anything, it's my ass on the line." He gave Sarah a look and got out quickly, popping the trunk to load up. 

"We'll both be fine," he said gently, before following his brother and grabbing one of the guns they'd stashed inside the stolen vehicle. 

Dean moved brusquely towards the back entrance, where he swore he thought a door was slightly ajar. "I bet that's where Invisi-Boy got through." He glanced at Sam. "So you ready to work your mojo or what?" 

Sam's lips thinned into a grimace but he nodded silently, lifting his gun. 

Chloe, I'm coming, Dean tossed that thought out into the night, wondering if she'd hear it. Or even care if he was close by to save her, like he had promised. He rushed towards the guards, heedless of the outcome. Making sure Chloe got out alive, that was too important to worry about his own hide. 

&&&&&

"Is it just me or is it really hot in here?" Chloe mumbled, wiping a hand across her forehead. 

Clark frowned but didn't take his eyes off her. "I don't know. I can't tell." He gripped her hand gently and tried to smile again. 

"You all right?" Her eyebrows furrowed a little and she looked at him, concern in her eyes. 

He flushed a little and dropped his hand. "Sure, fine," he whispered hesitantly. 

Chloe's frown deepened and she reached up to touch his forehead. "Clark, they didn't inject you with any Kryptonite did they?" 

Her touch burned, as if she was laced with kryptonite. "No," he protested and moved away from her like quicksilver. 

She flinched a little at his reaction and quickly moved her hand away, rising to her feet and beginning to pace the small cell. 

From the corner of the room, Clark watched her move around the small cell and knew what was on her mind. He wished there was some way he could break out of this cell and prove his worth like he should have done so many years ago. He sighed softly. "I'm sorry, Chloe." 

"For what?" she asked absently as she paced. 

"For... everything," he replied after a minute. "For not getting us out of here... for not being there for you when you needed someone the most... for not telling you that..." He hesitated here, taking a deep breath. 

Chloe paused and turned to look at him. "Not telling me what?" She shook her head a little. 

He got up and moved towards her slowly, towering over her when he stood in front of her. "How I really feel," he said after a moment. His blue eyes sparked with emotion and uncertainty. 

She stared at him, confusion flickering over her features. "How you really feel," she repeated dumbly. 

"About you, Chloe," he whispered simply. "I love you."

&&&&&

"Sam, I need this door blown off!" Dean yelled impatiently as he pounded his fist into what felt like the hundredth guard, watching him crumple to the ground only to have another one standing between them and the lower level door. Dean only guessed that was where Chloe and the Spandex Wonder were being held. 

Sam focused, feeling an odd sense of deja-vu wash over him as he ripped the door off the hinges with his mind. 

"Deal with the weirdness later, dude," he muttered and thew another punch into a guard's face, blood spurting everywhere. He dashed into the long, well-lit corridor before someone could follow, his shotgun aimed in front of him in readiness. 

He had rounded two corners and about to cross a third one when he heard talking. It was Clark's voice, and what he heard confirmed what he knew deep down inside. His hands trembled and nearly sent the weapon clattering to the ground. 

&&&&&

"You what?" she whispered, shock clear on her face as she stared at him open-mouthed. 

"I said I love you, Chloe." Clark felt a wave of heat wash over him at the strange 'what the hell' look on her face. He should have expected this, though he had wanted to tell her without the mind-numbing terror lurking around the corner. 

"No, I heard you, I'm just wondering what the hell brought that on ." She shook her head. 

He dared to take a step closer to her. "Years of stupidity," he admitted quietly. "I've loved you for a really long time but was too afraid to tell you." 

Chloe was so caught off guard for a moment she couldn't even speak. She slowly turned away, trying to absorb his words. 

Dean swallowed hard and felt his heart crash to his feet. 

Clark watched the back of Chloe's head and wished for a moment for the ability to read minds. Her silence was deafening. 

"You...have the worst timing ever," she whispered, drawing in a breath and letting it out slowly. 

He nodded and smiled, his breath rushing out in a sigh. "Yeah, so I've been told." He touched her shoulder and turned her around. "I wanted to do this... well, not here... but I figured since we're stuck until someone gets us out..." The look on her face stopped him cold in his tracks. 

"Clark, you're my friend. And...I hope that will always be true. But I don't have those feelings for you anymore," she said quietly, gazing at him. 

What little hope lived in Clark's soul diminished. "Why? Because some... ghost hunter's come into your life?" 

Her jaw tightened a little. "He's not just some ghost hunter, Clark." 

"Then what is he?" 

Chloe's green eyes were intense. "He's the man I love more than anything. Even when he pisses me off beyond belief," she added, feeling a moment of guilt about the fight they'd had earlier. 

Clark looked incredulous. "You're kidding, right? That guy? You love him? Why?" 

"You know, for a guy who's supposed to be such a hero, you can be a real jerk," she said sharply. "And no, I'm not kidding. I love him. I love him because he's smart and he's funny and he's got a heart of gold. And he believes in me. He makes me believe in me, and I've never felt like that before." Her eyes were accusing. "And that means more than you'll ever know." 

It took Dean a full minute to comprehend what Chloe was saying, having latched on to her precious voice and thanking whatever deity she might have believed in that she was alive and seemingly unharmed. When he let them sink in, however, he was flooded with an emotion he had never felt before, couldn't put a name to it. Whatever it was, he liked it. His being felt fused with hers, and he wished more than anything that she was looking at him as she poured out her soul.

Clark blinked at the harsh aggression of her speech. "But Chloe, I --"

"You nothing, Clark," Dean replied and turned the corner. "Get this straight. My girl isn't going to save your sorry ass ever again." His gaze flickered to Chloe and remained there. 

Chloe turned, startled at his voice. "Dean," she whispered, quickly moving to him and winding her arms around his waist. 

Chloe turned, startled at his voice. "Dean," she whispered, moving to the barred door. 

"Hey," he whispered and handed her the shotgun, kneeling to pick the barred lock. "How come Boy Scout here can't pry open the bars?"

Clark glowered and turned away. "They're laced with meteor rock... Dean." 

"God, it's good to see you," she murmured, taking the gun from him and leaning her forehead against the door, her heart beating quickly in her chest. 

He brushed a finger along her cheek as he worked the lock open. "Please don't ever do that again," he whispered and watched the door slide open. 

"Deal." She swallowed hard, not taking her gaze off his face. 

He grabbed her out of the cell and crushed her to him, arms wrapped tightly around her body for a second. "Come on, let's get the hell out of here," he whispered and looked directly at Clark. "Unless you've got something else to say to her?"

Clark shook his head, dejected and crushed. Too little, too late, he thought and managed to slide out of the cell before the effects of the kryptonite could get him. 

She paused in her tracks, the hair rising on the back of her neck as she felt a presence behind them. "Dean." Her voice was hushed and she turned slowly to see Lex Luthor standing there, a wide smirk on his face. 

"Long time no see," he said dryly. 

Dean immediately pushed Chloe behind him and hoped to God Clark was there. "Actually, it's long time, I never want to see," he remarked casually but maintained his aim. 

"You may as well put that toy away. You can't hurt me," Lex stated matter-of-factly, looking at him with bored disinterest. 

"Why, has someone been eating their Wheaties?"

"Dean, I need to handle this," Clark prodded softly and moved around them. 

Chloe gripped onto Dean's arm tightly, watching warily as Clark approached Lex. 

"Well, I guess I was right about you all along, wasn't I, Clark?" He raised an eyebrow at his former-friend. 

Clark narrowed his eyes and glared at Lex. "You know nothing about me, Lex," he replied. "Least of all who I am. That was always your problem." 

"Well I know you can break ropes with a flick of your wrist and pull people from car wrecks effortlessly. And where is it you're from? Oh...that's right. Krypton." His gaze flickered to Chloe and he smirked. 

"Remind me why I've kept him alive?" Dean asked out loud and cocked his gun. 

"Because you're not a killer like him," she responded, holding Lex's gaze. 

Clark smiled sadly at his former best friend. "So you think you know it all, Lex. What took you so long? I mean, how long have you been obsessed with my background?" 

"Well had I known all along that you were from another galaxy, I certainly wouldn't have trusted you as much as I did," Lex agreed, pulling out a green rock from his pocket and holding it out toward Clark. 

Clark immediately stumbled backwards, his face pale and sweaty with the onslaught of fire that shot through his body. Fortunately a wall stopped his fall, or else he would have reeled back into the cell.

Dean lowered the gun and reached out his hand. "Hitting below the belt, Luthor. How like an evil bastard." He tried to knock the green rock out of Lex's hand but couldn't. In fact, he couldn't reach the rock. Some unseen thing was barring him. 

Lex smirked. "You know, at first I thought you might be useful, but I overestimated you, Dean. You're worthless in the long run." He pulled a gun from his suit jacket, aiming it at him. 

"What the hell?" Dean said aloud and tried to push Lex away, beat the gun out of his hand, something. But nothing happened. His hand bounced off nothingness. Realization dawned on him like a freight train: Lex Luthor was being protected by... something. "I might be worthless," he retorted and smiled wryly at the other man, "but at least I don't have to hide behind something out of Star Trek to get my point across." He mentally shot an S.O.S. out for Sam to get his ass here. 

Almost instantly Sam was there. "Dean!" He watched as Luthor cocked the gun, aiming it right at his brother. What he didn't see was Chloe's quick movement as she grabbed the gun from Dean's waistband, taking aim without hesitation and firing three shots in rapid succession. Stunned, he watched as Lex stumbled backwards a few feet, blood staining the front of his suit. 

Before Dean could blink, Luthor was on the floor, blood pooling around him. And from the look of things, the man was dead the second he hit the floor, an utter look of confusion on his still, lifeless face. Dean turned and looked at Chloe intently. "Chloe," he said quietly, not betraying the wrath of emotions twisting in his stomach, and gently took the gun from her trembling hands. He pocketed the gun and tossed the shotgun at Sam, picking her up firmly. "We're leaving. Now," he announced and glanced at Sam.

The kryptonite kicked away, Clark felt his power surge, though he couldn't stop eyeing Lex Luthor's inert figure. Waves of helplessness overcame him as he turned to follow the others out of the room, his love for the blonde shrinking once again into the background of his mind. He had just seen Chloe Sullivan kill a man. And Dean had let her do it. 

&&&&&

"Lex is dead?" Bart's shock reflected what the rest of the JLA was feeling at that moment, his gaze falling on Chloe, who sat as silent and still as a rock beside Dean Winchester. 

Dean frowned and maintained a firm grasp on her shoulders, keeping her body close to his. "What part of that last statement did you miss, dude?"

Oliver held up a hand. "Please, let's refrain from another verbal sparring game. This is serious." He glanced at Clark. "What the hell happened, anyway?"

Clark sighed heavily, glancing at Chloe a moment before focusing on the rest of the group. "The suit failed somehow. I think it shorted out when I tried breaking into the lab on the third floor." 

"Go on," Victor urged, still looking stunned as he leaned back against the wall. 

"Clark sent Chloe a mental SOS," Sam supplied. "And she went to help him." 

A.C. looked like he had eaten bad salmon. "And you broke in there alone and tried to save Clark?" he asked. 

Chloe didn't respond. Her expression didn't even register that she'd heard him. 

"Look, it doesn't really matter." Sam looked around at the others in the room. "Lex is dead. It's not like it's any great loss to humanity." He rose to his feet, glancing at his wife as he felt the compelling urge to take charge of the situation. To protect his family. 

To be the leader. 

Dean smirked and watched as his brother grew taller by the second. "I second that. Hell, the guy was working with the yellow eyed demon. How can this be bad that he's dead?" He squeezed Chloe's shoulder but didn't get a response. A niggle of worry entered his mind but he shoved it from thought for the moment.

Sarah looked up at Sam and smiled. "It's not," she agreed quietly and took his hand. "He's one less thing we need to worry about." She cast a glance at Chloe's catatonic state, however, and frowned inwardly. She couldn't shake the feeling of dread in her heart.

Oliver shook his head solemnly and looked at Sam. "Okay, so Luthor's dead. How the hell did Chloe get to him?"

"It's called a gun, dude," Dean retorted quietly. 

"But if he was wearing some kind of invincibility suit--" Bart began, looking confused. 

"Then how did a gun work on him at all?" Victor finished, shaking his head. 

Sam looked around the room. "I don't know. But my guess is that the suit was just a test run for something worse." 

"But the suit was working before Sam came in the room," Clark pointed out.

"True," Dean agreed reluctantly. "Sam, you must have more mojo in you than we thought." 

"I didn't do anything. I didn't have a chance to react," Sam said quietly, looking at his brother. 

"Then it was a prototype," Oliver agreed and turned his back to look over the facility plans. "The problem is... for what? and why?"

"I... I think I know," Sarah whispered urgently, shock written on her face, and yanked on Sam's hand. 

He shifted his gaze to her face and sucked in a breath. "For the demon." 

"The demon?!" Dean nearly shot out of his seat. Son of a bitch, he thought. Luthor was making the demon bullet proof. What the hell else had he been doing?

"Wait, he wanted to make a demon invincible?" Bart asked quietly, looking stunned.

"It makes sense," Sarah looked at the group. "It's in a human body, and there *is* something that can kill it." 

"The Colt," Sam murmured, his heart sinking. 

Chloe's face remained blank even as she rose to her feet. "We need to go." She headed for the door without looking over her shoulder. 

Clark stared after her but said nothing. He turned slowly and left the room to change into normal clothes.

Dean stood up and looked at Oliver. "Can you guys check out what's left of that facility and see if you can get anything about this suit thing? If he was keeping it for the demon, we need to know everything about it." He glanced anxiously at Chloe's retreating figure.

Sarah stood and followed closely behind her friend. 

"Of course. I'll be in touch," Oliver assured him, looking worriedly after Chloe. 

Sam nodded. "Thanks, Oliver," he said, shaking his hand quickly and then following his wife. 

Dean smiled and shook Oliver's hand in turn. "Thanks. Keep these guys in line, will ya? I think we'll need you sooner than you think." With that, he turned and sprinted after Chloe. He found her waiting by the Impala, resting against the passenger side door, her face blank and emotionless. "Hey," he whispered and gathered her in his arms. 

She rested her chin on his shoulder, but didn't respond verbally. A dark smile spread across her lips. 

"Hate to state the obvious, but are you okay?" He gently rubbed her back and kissed the crook of her neck. 

"I'm just fine," she whispered, hugging him back. No one noticed as her normally green eyes flickered completely black for a brief moment, then returned to normal once more. She pulled away to look at him, putting a hand to his cheek. "I'm just fine." 

He nodded and smiled. "Come on, let's get out of here." He grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the car so he could unlock it.

Sarah watched Chloe carefully as she got in the front seat. Something about her friend was off, though she chalked it up to having committed cold-blooded murder. "I think some kind of celebration's in order," she said and looked shyly at Sam. 

"Ding-dong, Lex Luthor's dead?" he asked dryly. 

"You're funny, Winchester," she teased and playfully punched him in the arm. "I meant something else." 

Dean raised an eyebrow and looked at Chloe. "Guess you're stuck with me for the night." 

"Perfect," she whispered, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she gazed at him before turning her head to look out the passenger side window. 

She'd waited a long time for this moment. 

It was good to be back.


End file.
